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I've created this journal to provide tandem enthusiasts with insight into another enthusiast's (that would be me) experience in breaking-in a new tandem and the associated discovery process with very candid and frank commentary. The goal is to give others who go down a similar path with their first or perhaps their first custom tandem the benefit of seeing a first hand perspective to demonstrate that even a seasoned enthusiast will make mistakes and find things aren't always perfect. They key to success is, as always, solving issues by realizing where you may have made mistakes, learning new things about your new equipment, finding the root cause of performance issues, fine tuning to suit your long-term preferences, and addressing all of these things using a logical and methodical process. Moreover, it will hopefully underscore how important relationships and communication is throughout the lifecycle of the entire process and product. With all of that said, let me note that I have now broken the journal down into separate web pages for each update. The following index will appear at the bottom of each journal page to help readers navigate through the various information and subjects. |
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Update
#1: January 3, 2008: Our Calfee Tetra Tandem Arrives: Background
on why I selected a Calfee and what makes our frame unique.
Update
#2: January 12, 2008: Build 99% Complete... And The First Ride: First impressions on the build-up
and ride qualities as well as a description of the initial components,
the weight, cost, and some other thoughts.
Update
#3: February 10, 200: First 30 days & 250 miles: Dealing with a new type of eccentric,
trying to resolve some handling issues and working around an
RF interference issue with my stoker's wireless computer.
Update #4: February 24, 2008: First 45 days &
300 miles: Back-to-back
riding comparisons with our Erickson steel tandem and first impressions
of low-spoke count / paired-spoke racing wheels.
Update
#5: March 2, 2008: Ever Wonder How Much Influence Wheels and
Tires Have On Your Tandem's Performance? Our first chance to ride the Calfee with conventional
wheels solves the early handling issues.
Update
#6: March 16, 2008: As The Wheels Turn.... And Other Weighty
Issues: A little more
on wheel comparisons, disc brake rotor clearance, and some final
thoughts on our experience with low-spoke count / paired-spoke
racing wheels.
Update
#7: March 30, 2008: And Now For Something Completely Different:
Tandems East's '08 Tandem Expo:
Meeting Craig Calfee for the first time along with several other
industry representatives and enthusiasts while attending one
of the few tandem expos held here in the US.
Update
#8: April 19, 2008: It's the Little Things.... And Some New Wheels: A few tweaks, some different water
bottle cages, and yet another wheel set: these babies are keepers.
Update
#9: May 11, 2008: Back In Black... And More On Wheels: The Calfee takes on a more stealthy
look, an update on the Topolino's and a new set of old wheels:
Rolfs Part Deux.
Update
#10: May 27, 2008: Wheels, Rims, & Unexpected Consequences:
Debbie's Calfee:
We are so impressed with the Calfee tandem that a 3rd Calfee
bike is added to the family livery, plus updates on wheels, creaks,
and a short photo retrospective on US: 2008 compared to 1997.
Update
#11: August 12, 2008: The
Perfect Ride & The Penultimate Update: After about 8 months and a couple thousand
miles of fine tuning, our Calfee Tetra Tandem is Perfect. This
update includes a summary of the final adjustments made since
May and will likely be the last update before our final, year-in-review
over Christmas.
Update
#12: Narch 28, 2009: The
Final Entry: This is
it, the last installment. A final summary of our impressions
and thoughts on uber-light / performance tandems, our Calfee
and some additional details on disc brake installation, touring
gear and a final installment on our flitation with exotic wheelsets.
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This is our custom Calfee Tetra Tandem with S&S couplers fresh out of the box (~9.2 lbs, frame only). Why Carbon? We saw our first Tetra Tandem at the Eastern Tandem Rally in Frederick, Maryland back in 2001, Larry Black's custom 650c model. Having worked in aerospace since the early 80's, I was immediately intrigued in Craig's use of composites which have some very attractive qualities. However, at the time we already owned an exceptional steel tandem made for us by Glenn Erickson and had a second Erickson -- a travel tandem -- on order.
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This is a view of the frame in profile which reveals the nature of the frame's custom geometry: a compact design with 30" stoker compartment. Why Craig Calfee? My interest in the Calfee led to several years of correspondence with Craig on a number of issues and topics related to tandem design, materials, and manufacturing methods. These discussions and his attention to detail firmly cemented by admiration and respect for Craig's knowledge, experience, and skill as a frame builder as well as his reputation for being 'the expert' on practical composite bicycle frame design and fabrication. |
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The open frame design required a paradigm shift in how you address water bottle and frame pump placement: this was our final solution. Why Now? My interest in the Calfee was piqued once again when Craig introduced his oversized open frame design in late '06. While it wasn't a new design, the marriage of composite frame materials and construction methods seemed like a perfect fit that would yield a more cost efficient frame and it did. Never being one to jump in with both feet, I opted to let others do the beta testing with the new design and share their impressions. |
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With bottled added, the small size of the frame becomes evident as does the very cozy placement of the cages... definitely not business as usual for the Calfee frame fabrication team, noting the very tight tolerances Any Regrets About Waiting So Long? The only downside to waiting for others to field test the open frame while I lobbied the household's CFO was an unexpected and way overdue adjustment in the price of S&S Bicycle Torque Couplings, aka, S&S couplers. This unexpected price change effectively erased the cost savings associated with the open frame vs. the traditional model with it's internal tube: nearly a 64% premium on the basic frame and fork. |
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Although missing a few critical components such as the headset, stem, bottom brackets, and cranks, here is a mock-up view of the tandem. Buying a $12k tandem on Blind Faith? Before making a final decision I decided to acquire a Calfee Tetra Pro so that I could gain a full appreciation for the ride qualities that I associated with composites vs. steel, titanium, an aluminum frames by doing some long-term and back to back comparison rides: mission accomplished: a sensational ride that embodies some of the best traits of lightweight steel and titanium. The unexpected finding with the Tetra Pro was with regard to finish as my Tetra Pro was a second-hand bike with several hard seasons of wear and tear that took a toll on the translucent finish. 1/2 way through my 'fly before buy' testing I sent the frame back to Calfee to be stripped so that I could evaluate the unpainted, or nude finish as it's called. As you can see, I found the nude finish to be very desirable.
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A final profile view of the mocked-up frame that once again shows off the 53mm front compartment mated with the 30" stoker compartment and compact frame design. How Long Did it Take? Being our fourth custom tandem and because we already had access to a tandem, there was no real time pressure associated with the fabrication of our frame. This played itself out well as we were able to spend a few weeks tweaking the design before locking in the specs a week or two after initially placing the order. The actual tandem production took the normal eight (8) weeksand we took delivery on January 2nd.... when temperatures in Atlanta dropped into the teens and low 20's. The latter explains why these photos and the mocking-up of the frame took place in our front hallway instead of at my work bench in the unheated and uninsulated garage. And, yes, those are low spoke count racing wheels . |
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Frame details at hand-wrapped captain's seat post mast cluster, top tube weave and components: Thompson Masterpiece seat post with carbon stoker stem by Bob Davis (ariZona Tandems), ergonomic E3 brand carbon wing bars and Cane Creek stoker pegs.
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Frame details at hand wrapped rear bottom bracket , seat tube weave, and components: NOS Campagnolo Record Triple Ti front derailleur, Blackburn Chicane stainless steel water bottle cage and Blackburn CF frame pump.
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Frame details at hand wrapped head tube, top tube and seat tube weave, and components: cool cellophane headset and top of True Temper Alpha Q X2 carbon fork.
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| Very close-up photo of hand-wrapped seat & top tube joint (click to see larger image). |
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| Very close-up photo of tubing (click to see larger image). |
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700x25c tire (actual measured width 26mm) installed in True Temper Alpha Q X2 tandem fork.
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Update
#1: January 3, 2008: Our Calfee Tetra Tandem Arrives: Background
on why I selected a Calfee and what makes our frame unique.
Update
#2: January 12, 2008: Build 99% Complete... And The First Ride: First impressions on the build-up
and ride qualities as well as a description of the initial components,
the weight, cost, and some other thoughts.
Update
#3: February 10, 200: First 30 days & 250 miles: Dealing with a new type of eccentric,
trying to resolve some handling issues and working around an
RF interference issue with my stoker's wireless computer.
Update #4: February 24, 2008: First 45 days &
300 miles: Back-to-back
riding comparisons with our Erickson steel tandem and first impressions
of low-spoke count / paired-spoke racing wheels.
Update
#5: March 2, 2008: Ever Wonder How Much Influence Wheels and
Tires Have On Your Tandem's Performance? Our first chance to ride the Calfee with conventional
wheels solves the early handling issues.
Update
#6: March 16, 2008: As The Wheels Turn.... And Other Weighty
Issues: A little more
on wheel comparisons, disc brake rotor clearance, and some final
thoughts on our experience with low-spoke count / paired-spoke
racing wheels.
Update
#7: March 30, 2008: And Now For Something Completely Different:
Tandems East's '08 Tandem Expo:
Meeting Craig Calfee for the first time along with several other
industry representatives and enthusiasts while attending one
of the few tandem expos held here in the US.
Update
#8: April 19, 2008: It's the Little Things.... And Some New Wheels: A few tweaks, some different water
bottle cages, and yet another wheel set: these babies are keepers.
Update
#9: May 11, 2008: Back In Black... And More On Wheels: The Calfee takes on a more stealthy
look, an update on the Topolino's and a new set of old wheels:
Rolfs Part Deux.
Update
#10: May 27, 2008: Wheels, Rims, & Unexpected Consequences:
Debbie's Calfee:
We are so impressed with the Calfee tandem that a 3rd Calfee
bike is added to the family livery, plus updates on wheels, creaks,
and a short photo retrospective on US: 2008 compared to 1997.
Update
#11: August 12, 2008: The
Perfect Ride & The Penultimate Update: After about 8 months and a couple thousand
miles of fine tuning, our Calfee Tetra Tandem is Perfect. This
update includes a summary of the final adjustments made since
May and will likely be the last update before our final, year-in-review
over Christmas.
Update
#12: Narch 28, 2009: The
Final Entry: This is
it, the last installment. A final summary of our impressions
and thoughts on uber-light / performance tandems, our Calfee
and some additional details on disc brake installation, touring
gear and a final installment on our flitation with exotic wheelsets.
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